Prosecutor: Hearing In UNC Agents Case On Hold

HILLSBOROUGH – This week’s scheduled hearing for five people charged with violating North Carolina’s sports agent law by providing benefits to former Tar Heels football players has been postponed.

Orange County district attorney Jim Woodall said Monday that the hearing originally set for Wednesday is on hold until a later date that hasn’t yet been set.

Prosecutors have provided tens of thousands of investigative records to defense attorneys for review. It’s unclear when the case could reach a trial.

A grand jury indicted the defendants in September for violating the state’s Uniform Athlete Agent Act by providing benefits to former players Marvin Austin, Greg Little and Robert Quinn in 2010. The defendants include a Georgia-based sports agent and a former UNC tutor.

Final Athlete Inducement Indictments To Be Unsealed

ORANGE COUNTY – Orange and Chatham counties’ District Attorney Jim Woodall says the final two indictments in the Unified Athlete Agents Act case could be unsealed by the end of this week.

Three people have already been charged with the nation’s first charges pertaining to the UAAA including UNC tutor Jennifer Thompson and Georgia-based real estate agent Patrick Jones and sports agent Terry Watson.

Watson faces 13 felony counts in violation of the UAAA and one count of obstruction of justice, according to court documents unsealed in early October.

Jones is thought to have been a runner for Watson while charges against Thompson focus on money, plane tickets, and hotel rooms she allegedly passed on from Watson to former UNC football player Greg Little.

Jones Makes Third Charged in UNC Football Scandal

HILLSBOROUGH– Patrick Mitchell Jones of Cartersville, Ga. has become the third person indicted in the UNC football scandal.

This latest indictment was unsealed Monday morning. Jones was accused of persuading Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn to sign with sports agent Terry Watson. Jones did not comment after the hearing but will be hiring a lawyer in N.C. soon.

Jones’ bond was set at $20,000. And according to the indictment, Jones handed a third person $725 to aid Quinn.

Terry Watson and Jennifer Thompson, formerly Jennifer Wiley, are the other two indicted. You can read all the details here.

Next Charged In UNC Football Scandal Might Appear Monday

ORANGE COUNTY – Orange and Chatham County District Attorney, Jim Woodall says a third person indicted on breaking the Uniformed Athlete Agents Act could make his or her first appearance in court Monday morning.

He says it is not confirmed that the court appearance will take place, but that he was told it might take place around 11:00 a.m.

Two people—former UNC tutor, Jennifer Thompson, and Georgia-based sports agent, Terry Watson—have already appeared in Hillsborough at the Orange County Courthouse on charges of breaking the UAAA. Five total indictments have been handed out.

Terry Watson: 14 Felony Charges Linked To UNC Football Scandal

HILLSBOROUGH – Sports agent Terry Watson, the second to be indicted on felony charges related to the 2010 UNC football scandal, appeared in an Orange County courtroom Wednesday.

Watson, based-out of Georgia, faces 13 felony counts in violation of the North Carolina Uniform Athlete Act and one count of obstruction of justice, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday.

Sports agent Terry Watson

Thirteen charges are for athlete-agent inducement related to gifts provided to former UNC football players Greg Little, Robert Quinn and Marvin Austin. He also faces one felony count of obstruction of justice. He faces a maximum of 15 months in jail for each of the athlete-agent related charges and a maximum of 30 months in jail for the obstruction charge.

Watson is next scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 15, though Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall said that could change.

Watson is alleged to have provided Little with $18,200 in cash between May 2010 and October 2010. Watson is also charged with providing Little with $683.24 for a hotel room and $1,574 for airline tickets.

Court documents cite that Watson allegedly provided Quinn with $100, $675.74 for a hotel room in Miami and $750 for airline tickets. Watson is also charged with providing Austin with $2,000.

The Uniform Athlete Agent Act has been adopted by 40 states, including North Carolina, and says any agent must register with the state—specifically the Secretary of State in most cases—in order to act as an agent. Watson was registered in Georgia as a member of the Watson Sports Agency.

The UAAA is designed to shield athletes from sports agents who would offer gifts to entice them to sign representation contracts while competing on the college level.

Last week, Jennifer Wiley Thompson, the former UNC tutor connected to the football program scandal, was the first to be indicted for allegedly violating the North Carolina Uniform Athlete Act. She was charged with agent-athlete inducement on four low-level felony counts.

An Orange County grand jury issued multiple indictments On Sept. 30, three of which remain under seal.

A courthouse official told WCHL that it’s unlikely Thompson and Watson will serve the maximum punishment if convicted.

The degree of their sentence depends on their prior record, and the official said most of these people probably don’t have much of a record, so they’re more likely to just get probation.

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